- Solicit expert peer reviews of the draft checklist.
- Revise checklist based on expert feedback.
- Solicit additional expert peer reviews if needed.
- Prepare a checklist for field testing.

Checklist Validation
Checklists accepted for inclusion in the Evaluation Checklist Project collection should meet the following criteria.
Checklist Validation Process
The validation process for the evaluation checklists has evolved over time. When the project first started in 1999, checklist authors received feedback on their checklists from the Evaluation Checklist Project director and obtained peer feedback at their own discretion. Beginning in 2003, checklists submitted to the site were subject to a blind peer-review process, similar to that used by academic journals. As part of the improvement and expansion of the project catalyzed by funding from the Faster Forward Fund in 2017, a field testing phase was added to ensure checklists are usable and have tangible benefits when used in real-world conditions.
Criteria for Evaluation Checklists
Checklists accepted for inclusion in the Evaluation Checklist Project collection should meet the following criteria. These criteria were derived in part from Bichelmeyer (2003), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), Degani and Weiner (2016), Scriven (2007), Stufflebeam (2000), and Willmore (2006). Complete citations can be found in the project charter.
Checklist Reviewers
The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University relies on qualified individuals to review checklists that are offered for use in evaluation projects.
Checklist Field Testing
The Evaluation Checklists Project invites the review and field testing of the Checklist for Effective Communication in Interviews and Focus Groups.
The purpose of field testing is to ensure checklists are usable and have tangible benefits when used in real-world conditions. Feedback provided by field testers is used by checklist authors to improve their checklists before they are finalized.
To Participate in Field Testing:
- Email kelly.robertson@wmich.edu to let her know you would like to field test the checklist. She will send you a copy of the checklist.
- Use the checklist to prepare for conducting an interview or focus group.
- Submit your feedback using the link that will be provided to you with the checklist.